As if by magic those clever folks at Cinema Sins have released their Everything Wrong with Blade Runner video just before the long-awaited sequel arrives in cinemas. Directed by the once visionary director Ridley Scott, Blade Runner celebrates its 35th Anniversary this year, and the cult classic is still as frustrating yet utterly engrossing as ever.
As all fans of Blade Runner know, there are multiple versions of the film with five of those different cuts being available on the Ultimate Edition, so which version is the right version to see before 2049 (the sequel not the year). Well, Ridley Scott preferred his 1992 Director’s Cut to the Theatrical Cut, but the filmmaker wasn’t done meddling as 2007 brought around the aptly titled Home Entertainment release The Final Cut. This version was the only one that Ridley Scott had complete creative control over, and while no cut of Blade Runner is without its flaws, The Final Cut is perhaps the most satisfying version. Maybe.
Naturally, there will be fans that disagree (come on, Harrison Ford’s narration is terrible and who wants a happy ending anyway), but as there are multiple cuts to pick from it’s up to the fans to decide which version is the definitive one. Back in 2015, Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve spoke to Collider and revealed which version would form the basis for the sequel;
“The movie will be autonomous and at the same time there will be some link, but I cannot talk too much about it. The only thing I can say is I was raised with the original cut, the original version that Ridley doesn’t like. That’s the Blade Runner that I was introduced to at the beginning and that I loved for years, and then I must say that I’m someone that appreciated the very last cut, the [Final Cut] version. So between all the different cuts, for me it’s the first and the very last that I’m more inspired by.”
Love it or hate it, Blade Runner’s impact on science fiction being taken more seriously as a genre can never be ignored.
Blade Runner 2049 is released in cinemas on October 5.
